Centrifugal melting device.



PATEN TED MAR. 27, 190 6 T. J. ZOELLER. GENTRIF-UGAL MELTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION-FILED 00'1. 11,1904. v

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

[NVENTO]? 22 By a citizen of the United States, residing at the preferred form'of heater or screen." Fig. 20

'form of heater or screen. Fig' 6 is a side ele-' omitted the'i'ntermediate 'erforate member trifugal devices primarily designed. to trans to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had tothe 810001111 4. Fig. '3 is a side elevation of the de- ,ortion'of the retainin heater-screen eing nels or grooves "within which'said heater-is confined.

able for use in practicing my invention,-illus-' 40 I struction and arrangement of its several elements that the pro UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE J. ZOELLER, OF NASIIVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC CANDY MACHINE COMPANY, OF NASHVILLE, TENNES- SEE, A CORPORATION OF'TENNESSEE.

QESCNTRIFNLJGAL NlELTlJNG DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE J. ZOELLER,

Nashville, in the county of Davidson, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Melting Devices; and I hereby declare the following panying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a. mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, a modified formof heater-screen illustrated in Fig. 5 being substituted for the preferred form as shown vice. Fig. 4 is a view showing a portion of 5 is a view showing afragment of a modified vation of a form of my invention wherein is which {forms} a housing or the retaining heater-screen andwhich is interposed between the .upper and lower members of the revoluble receptacle, said view also'illustratreceptacle which permits easy inspection .of allarts of the interior of the device and the faci e introduction of a cleaning-brush or the ig." 7 is a vertical transverse section of the revoluble receptacle shown in Fi 6, a

roken away to more 0 early show the chan- Fig. 8 is a side'elevation of a revoluble receptacle and attached shaft suittrating the application of an upper member, such as shown in Fig. 6 to the construction shown in Fi .3 and also illustrating the aplicability o a'perforated intermediate memher to the construction shown in Figs. Gand Like symbols refer to like, parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to that class of cenmute into filaments or afiliform mass, those substanceswvhich liquefyupon the application of heat, and has for its 0 ect such a con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 11,1904. Serial No. 228,071,

uct shall b e uniform and Patented March 27, 1906."

the device economic andv efficient in operation.

ulated sugar the I revoluble receptacle in which the sugar is contained has been heated throughout and the sugar maintained in a molten state, such molten sugar being caused Hitherto in the operation of such devices 1n the manufacture of candy from granby centrifugal action to pass through small and are objectionable in that the product is unreliable, being more often scorched than otherwise, such scorching of the product resultingfrom the continued application of the intense heat toa gradually-dlminishing quantity of the'molten sugar. Devices so heated l are further objectionable inthat all once melted must be converted into filaments without allowing such molten. su ar to cool and harden, as in the latter is scorched in the reheating.

To overcome the objections before noted,

I combine with a suitable receptacle means event t e product for localizing the applied uheat to a limited zone, thereby, in effect, maintaining a constant ratio between the amount of sugar or other material to which heat is sup lied and the amountand intensity of such eat,'and

of my lnvention.

- such a combination embodies the main feature A second feature of my invention resides in combining with a suitable receptacle a screen of suc fineness of o emng as to retain 'the material to be operate upon, said/screen being adapted to supply heat .to such material;

- A third feature of myinvention resides in combining with arevoluble receptacle having a localized heated zone an auxiliary screen which is adapted to be heated either inter mittently or continuopsly.

There are other minor features of'invention all aswill hereinafter more fullyappear. I I will-now proTzeed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the sugar art to 'which it appertains may apply the same. In the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustrating my Invention the scope whereof V is pointed out in the claims, Ais a split sleeve- 1 lower member 1 oflthe retaining-receptacle- B, and said shaft or shaft-coupling A is also provided with collector or transmittin rings C D, which are insulated therefrom an from each other by the insulating-rings 3 4 5 and insulating-spools, tubes, or cylinders 6 7 or in other suitable manner. The transmitting or collector rin C is preferably electrically connected to t e binding-post l by means 'of'the wire 1, which is embedded in the ring of insulating material 3 and in the insulating-tube 6 and the transmitting-ring D is connected by the wire-1 which passes through insulating-rings?) 4 and insulatbinding-posts 1 and 2 being ing-tube 7 with the binding-post '2, said mounted on the plug or cap E, which is of insulating material and is or may be secured to the upper end of the shaft-coupling A by a screw 3 or in other suitable manner.

The receptacle B, which is a containing means for the material 0 erated upon, is

. preferably constructed of a ower member 1,

an upper member 3 having a centrally-disposed orifice therein for the introduction of the material to be operated upon, and an intermediate or interposed section 2*, the latter being preferably of an insulating material or having an insulating coating, such as enamel, and having a perforated vertical face andupper and lower lateral flanges, within which the ribbon screen-heater is housed; but, if desired, the intermediate section 2 may be omitted and other means of maintaining the proper spaced or separated relation of the. upper and "lower sections of the receptacle B may be employed, the heater-screen G peripherally closing the opening between them and retaining the material to be acted upon.- A construction such as the latter is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7., wherein the lower member 1 and the upper member 3 of the receptacle B are preferably each provided witha'channel or groove b, within which the retaining heater-screen G is co'nfined, said screen G being insulated from the lower. and upper members of the receptacle B in any suitable manner, but referably by coating such members 1 an 3", or at least the channels or grooves 1) thereof, with an insulating material, such as enamel. When, however, an intermediate member 2 is employed, -the lower lateral flange thereof rests upon the lower member l of the receptacle B and is secured thereto by the -elon-' gated washers 1 1' which engage such latupwardly through the said lower member 1,

by which means the intermediate perforated member 2 may be readily disengaged from the lower member 1 by a partial rotation of said elongated washers, should such disengagement be necessary or desirable for cleaning the device or for any other purpose. The screws F F also pass throu h the upper member 3 of the receptacle B and serve through the nuts 3 3 to retain said upper member in engagement with the upper flange of the intermediate member 2; but,.if de sired, any other suitable means of connecting the several sections may be employed.

Housed within the lntermediate sections and protected by the lateral flanges of ,the intermediate member 2 of the receptacle B is the heater-ribbon screen G, which is preferably constructed of square wire alternately folded in opposite directions to form a ribbon occupying the space between the lateral flanges of such intermediate member, the openings in such screen being of such size or fineness as to prevent the escape of any of the material to be operated upon in its raw state or without having been first reduced to a molten or liquid condition; but in lieu of forming theheater-ribbon screen of square wire the same may be formed in other manner'as, for example, by folding a flat band of'broad wire in a zigzag mariner, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5. The heater ribbon or band thus formed comprises two contiguously-arranged series of sections extendin in parallelism at opposite angles of obli ui ty, the individual sections of each series eing parallel and connected at their ends to sec- .tions of the other series. The opposite ends 1 2 of the heater-screen G are insulated from each. other b the block of insulatin material H, in which they are secured, an sue-h ends 1 2 are electrically connected to the bindingposts 1 and 2*, respectively, preferablyby short lengths of wire soldered to the ends of said heater-screen.

When the device is exposed to cold during its operation, the auxiliary heater-screen S,

which will be presentl described, is so arranged and connecte J electrically 'that it may be maintained at a low heat or may be intermittently heated in order that the clogging of the perforated band 2 or of the auxlliary heater itself, due to the chilling of the material thereon, may be prevented 'or overcome. 1 7

If at any time or for any reason it is desired to clean the device from material which may have'adheredthereto after being melted, current may be increased sufficiently through the auxiliary heater S to again melt such material and cause it to flow 0H, leaving the de vice perfectly clean.

In order to prevent clogging of the perfo rated member 2 it is necessary to maintain the heater-screen G at a temperature sufiiciently above the melting-point of'the material operated upon as will permit such molten material to pass over or through said perforated band 2 without chilling below the point at which it is spun into filaments; but after the device has been operated continu ously for a considerable-length of time under these conditions the intermediate perforated member 2 becomes heated to such a degree that part of the molten material flows directly from the retaining heater-screen without being sufficiently chilled, and hence does not assume the desired filiform structure. If under these latter conditions the heat supplied to the heater-screenG is diminished, the chilling eflect upon the molten material sets in,

producing an attendant clogging of the-intermediate perforate member 2 and the output of the devicevis greatly reduced. By employing an auxiliary heater, however, the heater-screen G may be maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to readily-reduce the material operated'upon to a molten state yet at a somewhat lower temperature than is necessary'when such auxiliary heater is not employed, the heat supplied to suclf auxiliary heater being independently regulated and controlled to maintain the desired fluidity of the material operated upon, but being so graduated as to-preserve said auxiliary heater at a lower temperature than the primary heater-screen G. With respect to the period of duration of the current-flow through such auxiliary heater and the amount of heat supplied, it is to be noted that the temperature and condition of the surrounding atmosphere are controllingconditions,

since the difference in temperature between the po1nt at which the material operated upon will be spun into filaments and the surrounding current of air varies, and the melting-points of hygroscopic substances them selves vary with the humidity of the atmosphere.

Upon the outside of the receptacle B in such manner that the molten material passes therethrough an auxiliaryheater-screen S may be arranged, such auxiliary heater being preferably formedof wire of flat or other suitable form of cross-section wound upon the periphery of the perforated member 2 in .a plurality of circumferential turns to'form a helical screen of the desired the ends 1 2 whereof pass inwardly throng the perforations of the said intermediate member 2? of the receptacle B- and through the insulating-block H. The auxiliary heaterscreenS is preferably covered in like manner with themember 2 with a coating of enamel having a coeflicient of expansion equal or approximately equal to that of the material of which the screen is composed in order that size of openin such enamel may not scale off when heated, and such 'anxiliary heater screen and perforated intermediate member 2 are preferably insulated and spaced from each other by lava blocks 3 3 or in other suitable manner. One of the endsor terminals 1 of the auxiliary heater-screen S is or may be connected to one of the binding-posts, as 2, carried by the insulating-plug E, while the other end or terminal'2 of such heater-screen S is connected to a binding-post 8 carried by the shaft coupling A, or current may be supplied through the shaft of the motor, and thence through the shaft-couplingA to the auxiliary heaters.

As a matter of information and not as limitation, I would state that I revolve the containing receptacle at about two thousand revolutions per minute and form the heater- 7 screen G of a wire which is square or nearly so in cross-section.

The construction being substantially such as hereinbefore pointed out the operation of the device will be as follows: The receptacle B being charged with the granulated or pow-- dered sugar or other material to be operated upon and being revolved rapidly the material is centrifugall'y forced into contact with the retaining heaterscreen G, which is simultaneously heated to the proper degree by passing a current of electricitytherethrough.

Such material as at any instant is contiguous to the retaining heater-screen G is thus reduced to a molten state in which condition it may-esca e through the interstices of said.

screen an be then thrown off in filiform fragments from the periphery of the revolving device after pas'sa'ge through the intermediate perforated member p 2 and auxiliaLy heater S.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and ent, is a 1. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle, of means for desire to secure by Letters Pat-- I ooapplying heat thereto in a localized zone, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In l a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a revoluble receptacle, of

means for applying heat thereto in a peripherally-localized zone, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a centrifugal melting device, the

the purposes specified.

substantially as an In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of a plurality of members one of which Is an interposed perforate member, of means for applylng heat to sald rece taele in a localized zone,

for the purposes specifieda I I 6. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of a plurality of members one of which is an intermediate perforate member, of means for applyingheatJto' said receptacle in,a localized zone, and means for heating said perforate member, substantially as and for the purposes specified. I I

7. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination-with a rece tacle, of aheater within said receptacle, and an auxiliary heater arranged externally of said receptacle, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. In a centrifugal melting device, the

combination with a revoluble receptacle, of a retaining heater-screen within said receptacle,

' and an auxiliary heater arranged externally of said receptacle, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a revolublereceptacle. com prised of a plurality of members one of which is an intermediate perforate member, of a heater within said receptacle, and an auxiliary heaterarranged externall of said receptacle and adjacent to said-pe orate member,

substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of up or and lower members separated or spaced wit relation to each other, and a retaining heater-screen, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified;

11. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of upppr and lower members separated or spaced wit relation to each other, and a retaining heater-screen interposed between such members ad'ace'nt to the peripheries thereof, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

12. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated upon, of a primary heater, and an auxiliary heater arranged contiguously thereto, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

13. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated upon, of a heater.- screen, andan auxiliary screen adapted to be heated, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

14. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated upon, of means for applying heat thereto in a localized zone, and an auxiliary and for the purposes s ecified.

15. I11 a centrifuge melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated u on, of means for applying heat thereto in a ocalized zone, and a screen adapted to be heated, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

16. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle com rised of a lower member, an upper member liaving an opening therein and an intermediate perforate member, of means for securing said members together, a revoluble shaft or shaftcoupling, means for securing the lower member of'said receptacle to said shaft or shaftcou ling, and means for-a plying heat to said receptacle in a localize zone, substantially as and for the purposes specified.-

17. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of a lower member, an upper member and an intermediate perforate member having a lateral flange, of elongated Washers engaging the lateral flange of said perforate member, means for securing said elongated washers to said lower member, a revoluble shaft or shaftcoupling secured to said lower member, and means for applying heat to said receptacle in heater-screen, substantially as a localized zone, substantially'as and for the purposes specified.

18. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of a lower member, an upper member and an in termediate perforate member, of a plurality of collars for securing the said lower member to a shaft or shaft-coupling, a shaft or shaftcoupling having collectorrings insulated therefrom and from each other, and a heater electrically connected to said collector-rings and adapted to apply heat to said receptacle in a localized zone, substantially as'and for the purposes specified.

19. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated upon, of a heater, and a helical auxiliary heater-screen, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

20. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated upon, of a 11 ter, and a helical screen adapted to be heated, gugstantially as and for the purposes speci- 21, In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of a lower member, an upper member and an intermediate perforate member, of a plurality of collars for securing the said lower member ribbon in an electrical circuit, and an auxiliary heater in an electrical circuit, said ci-rsaid receptacle is revolved, substantially as cuits having a common return, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

23. In a centrifugal melting device, the

i combination with a revoluble receptacle, of a retaining-screen, and means whereby said screen may be electrically energized when and for the purposes specified.

'24. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a screen adapted to be heated electrically, of an insulating-housing for saidscreen, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

25. Ina centrifugal melting device, thecombination with a revoluble receptacle, a revoluble shaft or shaft-coupling, means for securing said receptacle'to said shaft or shaft-- coupling, and means for applying heat to said receptacle in a localized zone, substantially.

combination with a receptacle, of a shaft or shaft-coupling, a plurality of. collars for securing said receptacle to said shaft or shaftcoupling, a plurality of collector-rings carried by said shaft or shaft-coupling and insulated therefrom and from each other, and a heater electrically connected to said collector-rings and adapted to apply heat to said receptacle in a localized zone, substantially .as and for the purposes specified.

27. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle, of a shaft or shaft-coupling, a plurality of collars for securing said receptacle to said shaft or shaftcoupling, a plurality of collector-rings carried by said shaftor shaft-coupling and insulated therefrom and from each other, and a sqluare wire retaining-screen heatervelectrical y connected to said collector-rings and adapted to apply heat to saidreceptacle in a localized zone, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

28. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with a receptacle comprised of a lower member, an upper member and an intermediate perforate member having lateral flanges, of a plurality of collars for securing the said lower member to a shaft or shaftcoupling, a shaft or shaft-coupling having poses s ecified.

each other, a square wire retaining-screen heater electrically connected to said collectorrings, and an auxiliary heater arranged externally of said receptacle and adjacent to said perforate member, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

29. In a centrifugal melting device, the combinationwith' a receptacle comprised of a lower member, an upper member having an opening therein and anintermediate perforate member having a lateral flange, of elongated washers, engaging'the lateral flange of said perforate member, means for securing said elongated washers to said lower member, a 'plurality of collars for securing the *said lower member to a shaft or shaft-coupling, a shaft or shaft-coupling having collector-rings insulated therefrom and-from each other, and a heater electrically connected to said collector-rings and adapted to apply heat to said receptacle in a localized'zone, substantially as and for the pur oses specified.

30. In a centri ugal melting ,device, the combination with areceptacle comprised of a lower member, an upper memberliaving an opening therein and an intermediate perforate member having a lateral flange, of elongated washers engaging the lateral flange of said erforate member, means for securing said eilongated washers to said lower member,

.a plurality of collars for securing the said lower member to a shaft or shaft-coupling, a shaft or shaft-coupling having collector-rings insulated therefrom and from each other, a heater electrically connected to said collectorrings and adapted to apply heat to said re-' ceptacle in a localized zone, and anauxiliary heater-screen arranged externally 'of said receptacle and adjacent to said perforate member, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

31. In a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for containing the material to be operated upon, of heating means for the material operatedupon, such heating means being adapted to maintain a constant ratio between the amount of material to which heat is supplied and the intensity of such heat, substantially as and for the constant ratio between the amount of'mate- I rial to which heat is sup lied and the amount of such heat, substantia y as and .for the pur- 33. n a centrifugal melting device, the combination with means for contalnlng the material to be operated upon, of heating means for the material operated upon, such heating means being adapted to maintain ,a constant ratio between the amount of matesections, an electrically-heated conductor supported between said sections, and a circumferent al, perforated, msulating-wall connecting said sections, said wall surrounding said conductor and affording a transverse support therefor, substantially as described.

36. In a device for making spun-sugar candy, a rotary spinner-head comprising spaced plates or disks and a band of Wire uniting the peripheries of said plates or disks.

37. A device of the character described, comprising a rotatable vessel having a circumferential discharge-passage, and an electrically-heated band in said passage composed of two contiguously-arranged series of sections, the respective sections of each series extending in parallelism, and each section of one series being connected at each of its ends to the end of a section of the other series, sub stantially as described. v

38. A device of the character described, comprising a rotatable vessel having a circumferential discharge-passage, and an electrically-heated band in said passage composed of two contiguously-arranged series of sections, the sections of each series respectively extending transversely of the band in parallelism at opposite angles of obliquity, and each section of one series being connected at each of its ends to the end of a section of the other series, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of October, 1904.

THEODORE J. ZOELLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN P. STEINER J. A. FLOERSII. 

